


The One Where Murray is Accused of Murdering a Client, and Nick and Cody Don’t Know if He Did It

by der_tanzer



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-16
Updated: 2011-12-16
Packaged: 2017-10-27 10:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/der_tanzer/pseuds/der_tanzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes even the people who know you best have doubts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Where Murray is Accused of Murdering a Client, and Nick and Cody Don’t Know if He Did It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [catyah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/catyah/gifts).



> Written for a LiveJournal fic meme.

The scary thing wasn’t so much that it kind of looked like Murray had killed his ex-lover. It was more that he never said he didn’t. Even when Quinlan was cuffing him and shoving him into the back of an unmarked car, Murray didn’t protest. There were no shouts of _I’m being framed_ , or _you guys know I didn’t do this_. He just sat there biting his lip like a worried businessman stuck in a slow cab. Nick and Cody stood on the sidewalk and watched the car pull away. There was no need to hurry down to the station this time. A man was dead. There would be no bail.

“Where was Murray last night?” Nick asked quietly.

“I don’t know. You don’t think he did it, do you?” Cody tried to sound outraged but it rang false even in his own ears. _Murray’s in charge of outrage_ , he thought crazily. _This is his job_.

“Keep your voice down. Look, here’s what we do know,” Nick murmured, taking his arm and leading him back toward the Vette. “They were involved, right? Murray and Brett Logan were living together in Baltimore, and he came out here after he caught Logan in bed with a girl. Logan marries the girl; then she comes out here three years later and disappears; Logan follows and asks us to help him find her; two days later he’s dead and Murray’s in jail. Did I miss anything?”

“Just the part where Murray didn’t want to take the case. And why isn’t he talking? They find him standing over the body with a gun in his hand and he never says a word. What—what if he really did it, Nick?”

“Sure, and while we’re making stuff up, maybe he killed _her_ , too, and that’s why Logan came to us. Maybe there were _clues_.” Nick was being bitterly sarcastic but Cody’s mouth fell open in shock. Like he was thinking that made sense. “Don’t say it, man. Don’t you fucking say it. We’re gonna figure this out.”

Quinlan was similarly surprised by Murray’s lack of complaint. He wondered if it was his fault for the show of toughness he’d put on during the arrest. Maybe Murray was using the silent treatment to punish him. But of all the times for a stunt like that, this was by far the worst. He pulled up outside the police station and dragged Murray inside, hustling him past the booking area and into an interview room. Murray sank into one of the uncomfortable metal chairs and sat up straight, pale but alert, his hands still behind his back.

“So, how about you tell me what happened?” Quinlan asked gently, sitting on the near edge of the table. He had deliberately not Mirandized his lover, thereby invalidating any confession that might follow. But Murray neither noticed nor cared.

“You already know. Why else would you have arrested me?”

“I arrested you because you were there and people were watching. Now why don’t you tell me what happened? Who should I be hunting down?”

“Me,” he sighed. “It’s my fault. I killed him.”

“You did not.” He laid his hand on Murray’s shoulder and Murray jerked away. The motion caused his glasses to slide down his nose, but he couldn’t lift his hand to push them back up. “Murray, baby, I know you didn’t shoot that guy. Why do you want to go down for this?” When Murray didn’t look at him, he caught the pointed chin and turned his head firmly. The soft brown eyes were filled with tears and he refused to lift his gaze. Quinlan pushed his glasses up for him, caressing his cheek lightly as he withdrew his hand. “Come on, baby. You want the blame, you can have it. Just tell me what happened.”

“He called me early this morning,” Murray whispered. “He wanted to talk without Nick and Cody. He said he had a clue but he’d only share it with me. So I went over there and he let me in.”

“You took your gun?”

“I was afraid it was a setup. I couldn’t tell the guys because…”

“Because what?”

“The _whole thing_ was a setup. Brett wasn’t married. I knew that when we took the case; I always keep tabs on people who betray me. I just didn’t say it right away because the guys were there and I didn’t want to humiliate him. That girl I caught him with? She dumped him right after I did. He made up that whole story as an excuse to come out here and get me back. That’s why he called me over to his hotel alone. I took the gun to intimidate him. In case he tried to hurt me when I turned him down.”

“And did he? Did you shoot him in self-defense?” Quinlan asked gently.

“No,” he squeaked, and paused to clear his throat. “We—he was angry. He thought I was with Nick or Cody and he kind of threatened them. I said it wasn’t them or me or anyone else, it was all about him. He’s betrayed me over and over, he’s a liar and he’s—he’s just _cruel_. But he’s dead, so I shouldn’t say—”

“Forget that. Keep talking. You told him he was a dick and then what?”

“Then he lunged at me. I reached for the gun under my coat and he—he grabbed it. He took it away from me and he—he said he’d kill me if I didn’t agree to go back to Baltimore with him. I—I said I’d rather—rather…” He choked on a sob and tried to duck away again. Quinlan grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him close. He took off Murray’s glasses and held him tightly, pressing Murray’s face to his chest. For a few seconds Murray struggled to speak through his sobs, but nothing he said was intelligible. Ted let him cry for a while, then pushed him gently upright and asked again what happened.

“I said I’d rather be dead than go anywhere with him. I was really cruel, Lieutenant. Probably worse than he ever was to me.” He leaned into Quinlan’s strong embrace once more and whispered, “He asked if I meant it and when I said I did, he turned the gun and shot himself in the forehead. It—it all happened so fast. One second I was verbally eviscerating him and the next he was dead. I was so shocked, I just bent down and picked up the gun. You know, because it was mine. Like I could wash it off and just go home. Then other people started coming in and there was a big fuss and you took me away. And that’s what happened. It was all my fault. I walked in there alone, I was cruel to him, and I brought the gun. I may as well have shot him myself.”

“Oh, baby,” Quinlan sighed. Then, more briskly, “All right, we can handle this. The ballistics will show the distance and trajectory; that’ll prove he was holding the gun. It’ll probably still have his fingerprints on the grip, too. It’ll be okay, baby. Everything will be okay.”

Murray wasn’t sure he believed that, but he couldn’t help feeling relieved as he rested in the warmth of Ted’s absolution. He had somehow convinced the only person that he needed to. Nick and Cody, he was sure, would have no doubts.


End file.
